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Dear Firefly and Buffy fans, there's going to be a Joss Whedon convention this month. Whendonopolis is happening May 13-15 at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys. All Whedon fandoms will merge for one event packed full of celebrity guests, panels, screenings and parties. Panels include behind-the-scenes look at makeup and effects, women in the Whedonverse, fashion, and how to self-publish your own works.
You'll also be able to dance to your heart's content at The Bronze, which if you don't know, is where Buffy Summers and her friends went to let off steam after a long day of fighting vampires and demons. You could also sing karaoke with demons and costumed heroes at Caritas karaoke. This is particularly important to the Whedonverse, as the demon Lorne (real name Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan of the demonic dimension of Pylea, obviously), used to make Angel and his pals sing karaoke for information at his L.A. karaoke bar, Caritas. Lorne was portrayed by the late actor Andy Hallett. Whedon came up with the character after seeing Hallett, who was Whedon's wife Kai Cole's personal assistant, sing at B.B. Kings Lounge at Universal CityWalk.
Naturally, there will also be a charity blood drive.
Organizer Tony Caballero tells LAist about some of his favorite highlights:
Some of the stellar events we're have planned include a special Friday Night table read of Joss Whedon's unproduced Wonder Woman script, a panel featuring a number of Whedon villains on Saturday, as well as an exceptional panel highlighting Juliet Landau's growing documentary A Place Among the Undead (with a special Members-only reception afterwards), make-up seminars, and a 50-item charity auction on Sunday to benefit our selected charities, the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and the Pop Culture Hero Foundation.
Landau—daughter of Martin Landau—played Buffy villain Drusilla. A Place Among the Undead is a documentary about vampires, and has names such as Whedon, Tim Burton, Interview with the Author author Anne Rice, The Southern Vampire Mysteries author Charlaine Harris, and actors Gary Oldman (Dracula) and Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the Vampire) attached.
From Landau's fully funded Indiegogo for the project:
There will also be some notable names from the Whedonverse, including Landau; writer and producer Marc Zicree (TV show Babylon 5, book The Twilight Zone Companion); Doug Jones (Buffy, Arrow); Camden Toy (Buffy, Angel); writer Valerie Frankel (Everything I Need To Know In life I Learned From Joss Whedon); Miracle Laurie (Dollhouse); and numerous behind-the-scenes crew members from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
We're hoping for lots of cosplay. Specifically, we'd like to see a Cabin in the Woods Merman.
Whedonopolis takes place May 13-15 at the Airtel Plaza Hotel, located at 7277 Valjean Ave in Van Nuys. Buy a membership/ticket here. Prices are $60 for the weekend or $20 Friday/$40 Saturday/$30 Sunday if bought online before May 9.
